The residential development practice was originally formed in May 2022 by Managing Partners Jeremiah Butler and Jarrett Svendsen, who previously worked together for approximately five years at BrightLeaf Homes, a regional custom home builder. The entity was rebranded as Ethos Builders LLC in September 2023 to reflect the partnership's mature design philosophy and the integrated services Ethos now delivers across construction and real estate. Ethos believes clients deserve an informed experience: open-book project finance, fixed management fees on custom client work, and a single point of accountability across the build.

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Why did you decide to start a company focused on custom home building, and what does the Ethos brand mean to you?

 

We started Ethos Builders to help bridge the gap and increase efficiency in the custom home-building process. The siloed and disconnected communication between builders, real estate professionals, architects, and designers is all too common in the home building industry, and we wanted to make this more human and connected for our clients. 

 

How does your combined experience as a real estate professional and custom home builder support the Ethos brand? 

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Our combined experience in real estate and custom home building allows us to see the big picture all the way through. From selling your home, finding a lot to build on, preparing that site, making connections with designers, architects, lenders, vendors, trades, etc. We can provide value from the angle of a real estate investment as well as building a dream home for your family. This plays a huge role in land acquisition, the lending process, design choices, and knowing what categories to put more dollars in over others. 

 

What advice would you give to someone searching for architects, home designers, and builders when looking to build a custom home? 

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When someone is considering building a custom home I always recommend they start with your builder first. An experienced and connected custom home builder will help unite the vision between all parties and ensure the vision, supports the design, and can be built as cost-effectively and smoothly as humanly possible. 

 

What Makes Ethos Builders the Premier Choice for Custom Home Building in Western Cook and Dupage Counties?

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We believe that our job as home builders is, at its core, education. Custom building a home is a massive project and a real journey that can be complex and overwhelming. We devote ourselves and our time to our clients to inform them on the process, the choices they have, and the construction practices we believe in. By doing this, we ensure that our homeowners have a stronger connection to the project overall, they fully understand the value they have in this property, and they understand a lot of the building methods and materials that make their homes better built and perform at a higher level.